Jeg designer AI-produkter – og bygger dem også.Jeg designer AI-produkteragentiske opplevelserfelles mønstreCopilot-opplevelser– og bygger dem også.

“Joel is an incredible leader who cares and lifts people.”

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

I had the pleasure working with Joel for little over 4 years in Microsoft. Joel is an incredible leader who cares and lifts people. He listens with compassion and asks thoughtful questions. He brings calmness into chaotic situations and bring people together to work things out. Joel is also a creative designer who brings clarity and priority in ambiguous product discovery processes. I highly recommend Joel.

Oversettelse

Jeg hadde gleden av å jobbe med Joel i litt over fire år hos Microsoft. Joel er en enestående leder som bryr seg om folk og løfter dem fram. Han lytter med omtanke og stiller gjennomtenkte spørsmål. Han skaper ro i kaotiske situasjoner og samler folk slik at de kan finne løsninger sammen. Joel er også en kreativ designer som skaper klarhet og setter tydelige prioriteringer når mye fortsatt er uavklart i utforskingen av nye produktideer. Jeg anbefaler Joel på det varmeste.

Joel brings calm to complexity and helps teams focus on what matters.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

Joel has been a wonderful partner to me and my Research and Content Design teams. He is the kind of design leader who understands that great product experiences are built through genuine collaboration across disciplines, and he consistently creates the conditions for that to happen.

One of the things I appreciate most about Joel is the calm he brings, even when things around us are moving fast or getting complicated. He has a way of bringing clarity and perspective to challenging situations, helping teams focus on what matters.

His work is consistently of high quality and forward-leaning; experimenting with new methods and ways of working (especially now with emerging AI tools and capabilities), and he is a particularly strong storyteller, able to bring ideas, design decisions, and experiences to life in ways that resonate with others.

Above all, Joel is a thoughtful, dependable, and generous collaborator. He makes cross-disciplinary partnership feel natural, and I have genuinely valued having him as a partner.

“I can strongly recommend Joel, both as someone to work with and as a design leader, and I’ve personally learned a lot from working with him.”

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

I’ve worked with Joel since 2022, and during these years I’ve witnessed his tremendous growth from a hands-on designer into a design leader, while still keeping his hands-on craftsmanship intact.

Joel has also been my manager for some years, and something I’ve really valued is the psychological safety and trust he creates. I’ve always felt comfortable sharing both professional and personal matters with him, because he understands that being a good leader is not only about the work, but also about the person. I could give him a call without having to schedule anything, and we could simply talk about whatever was going on.

Joel is also very disciplined and hardworking. He has helped me many times to get clarity on things, whether it’s design work and user flows, organisational changes, design feedback and direction, or just discussing a problem together until things became clearer.

I can strongly recommend Joel, both as someone to work with and as a design leader, and I’ve personally learned a lot from working with him.

“He connected our work, encouraged reuse of existing solutions, and brought designers and engineers together to create more consistent experiences.”

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

I’ve worked with Joel since 2021, and it’s been great to see him grow from a hands-on designer into a Principal design leader. What has always stood out to me is how naturally he connects people, ideas, and teams, and how genuinely curious he is about finding better ways of doing things.

One thing I really appreciate about Joel is how he leads. He listens, asks the right questions, and is always open to different perspectives. I've seen him take on more responsibility over the years, eventually leading the People design organization. That kind of growth doesn't happen without building trust, and Joel has a natural ability to do that.

We've collaborated on several experiences in Copilot, where Joel consistently looked beyond his own team's scope. He connected our work, encouraged reuse of existing solutions, and brought designers and engineers together to create more consistent experiences. He's someone who thinks about the bigger picture rather than just solving what's directly in front of him.

More recently, I've seen him bring that same mindset into AI Experiences, exploring new ways of working with AI and sharing what he learns so others can benefit too.

What I value most about Joel is that he doesn't just focus on delivering great work. He helps the people around him grow, brings clarity to complex problems, and creates opportunities for teams to work better together. He's curious, thoughtful, and always looking ahead. I think those qualities make him a great design leader, and I'd be happy to work with him again.

“I have been massively inspired by Joel in new ways to work with AI and his ability to share his wisdom with others whilst always keeping humans at the centre.”

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

I am so grateful to work with Joel. Truly one of the most talented designers I’ve worked with, always curious and leading the way. I have been massively inspired by Joel in new ways to work with AI and his ability to share his wisdom with others whilst always keeping humans at the centre. I admire his ability to work incredibly hard, constantly learn and still bring joy to the workplace, all at the same time.

“He has a way of making complex concepts simple and engaging through his designs.”

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

I wanted to take a moment to talk about Joel Mbugua, a former colleague of mine at Microsoft and, frankly, one of the most amazing designers I've ever worked with. Joel isn't just a designer; he's a creative genius who's saved me more times than I can count with his last-minute design magic.

There have been countless times when I was up against a deadline, and Joel came through with designs that were not just quick but incredibly polished and effective. His ability to understand what's needed and deliver it with such finesse is nothing short of remarkable.

But Joel is more than his professional skills. He's been a fantastic listener, always there when I needed advice, whether it was work-related or personal stuff. It's rare to find someone in the workplace who you can truly rely on, not just for their technical skills but for their empathy and understanding.

Talking about his design work, I can confidently say Joel is a world-class product designer in the digital space. His designs are not just visually stunning but also user-friendly and innovative. He has a way of making complex concepts simple and engaging through his designs.

And, did I mention his passion for photography? His creative eye isn't just limited to digital design; it extends to capturing beautiful moments through his lens. This blend of skills and interests just adds to the depth of his talent.

In short, Joel is an asset to any team, bringing top-tier design skills, a fantastic work ethic, and a great personality. Any organization would be lucky to have him on board. I'm excited to see the amazing things he'll continue to create and the impact he'll make in the design world.

“An amazing person to work with. By default his UI Designs results are beyond expectations because he applies design thinking and problem solving skills.”

“Had the pleasure to work with Joel at Incentro for one year and I was very impressed with his work. His designs were always unique and exactly what the client wanted. Joel has great work ethics and always a motivation to others.”

“Any organization looking for a thoughtful, skilled, and generous design leader would be fortunate to have Joel.”

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

I've had the privilege of working closely with Joel for several years at Microsoft, designing products that turned the promise of AI into intuitive, human experiences. I'd like to share what sets him apart as a design leader.

Craft and attention to detail. Joel has a real eye for craft. He knows what great looks like, and he consistently delivered it. His work was thoughtful, polished, and precise down to the smallest detail, and that quality raised the bar for everyone around him.

Accessibility. For Joel, inclusive design is never an afterthought. He treats accessibility as core to the experience, not a final checklist.

AI adoption. Joel doesn't just embrace AI. He changes how he works because of it. He was early to adopt agent-based workflows and prototype with AI, and he shares what he learns so others can move faster too.

Global collaboration. Working across Africa, Europe, and the US, Joel made the distance feel small. He built team rhythms around everyone's schedules, combining live sessions with work people could review on their own time, and he readily adjusted his own hours so no one was left out.

Culture building. This may be his greatest strength. Joel creates spaces where teams align before the work ships and where every voice is heard. He champions the people around him, celebrates their growth, and makes sure their contributions are seen.

Any organization looking for a thoughtful, skilled, and generous design leader would be fortunate to have Joel.

“Joel has a great eye for detail, is very creative and knowledge of HTML, CSS, Joomla & UI/UX is excellent.
Very personable & good communicator too.”

Joel is keen to see others around him excel and as such always shares his knowledge and experience to help them do so.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

It has been amazing learning from you Joel. Your pro-active mentorship, coaching, advice, and tips has gone a long way in my growth. You are keen to see others around you excel and as such always share your knowledge and experience to help them do so.

Joel has a remarkable ability to create space for everyone’s input while still driving clarity and direction.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

One thing I really admire and hope you continue doing is the way you bring a collaborative spirit into every interaction. You have a remarkable ability to create space for everyone’s input while still driving clarity and direction. It’s not just inclusive it elevates the work and brings out the best in the team.

I’ve genuinely enjoyed working with people under your leadership. The environment you create encourages thoughtful discussion, accountability, and high standards, all while making collaboration feel effortless. It makes a real difference.

Joel recognizes the unique strengths in his teammates and actively creates opportunities for them to develop those skills.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

I really appreciate how open-minded you are in your approach to collaboration and team growth. One of the things I admire most is your ability to recognize the unique strengths in your teammates and actively create opportunities for them to develop those skills. A great example of this was when you gave me the chance to work on the People Agent prototype. That experience not only helped me grow technically but also boosted my confidence in taking on more complex, high-impact projects. Your support in moments like that makes a real difference, and it’s something I truly value.

Joel consistently brought the right people into the room to tackle key questions and helped the team reach decisions while making sure everyone’s concerns were heard and respected.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

Joel,
I really appreciated working with you last semester and wanted to share a few reflections on what stood out.

You did a great job aligning the team and stakeholders. You consistently brought the right people into the room to tackle key questions and helped us reach decisions while making sure everyone’s concerns were heard and respected. That created a strong sense of shared direction in the projects as well as close partners like the IDC team.

Your leadership style really fostered a team-first culture. You led by doing, which made it easy for others to raise their hands and contribute. That energy helped us move faster and more confidently as a group. This also creates a safe space for the team to raise concerns or brainstorm when unsure of a direction.

Your product instincts are also a big asset and I look forward to what this translates to with you as architect. You pushed the design quality higher and helped us sharpen our craft. It's clear that your bar for design excellence influences the team in a positive way and product craftsmanship forward

I also really value your collaborative approach—especially with Shreyoshi & team on the IDC side and with me in the producer role. You treat the work as a shared responsibility, and that co-leadership mindset made a real difference in how we operated.

Joel shows a passion for product and craftsmanship, with a keen focus on the details behind polished, delightful experiences.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

Hello Joel, it has been a pleasure working with you in this past period on People Experiences. Our interactions have been mostly in the world of LPC, where you have shown a passion for product and craftsmanship. In the previous FHL, you took the time to document the inconsistencies in the designs versus the card, and worked with our engineers to push some fixes. Polish and delightful experiences are found in the details, and great to see your key focus on this.

On planning and scheduling of work, we aligned on availability of Designers towards such work as LPC in Outlook Native and Name Pronunciation. Additionally, you anticipated the asks, and worked towards enabling capacity, while also communicating where there were constraints or conflicting priorities. To add design capacity, you have now onboarded more designers into the work to drive results, and enable us ship the right experiences for our customers.

Joel always responded with constructive feedback and a calm, grounded presence.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

Joel, I really appreciate your ability to champion and secure resources for standing up the LPC reference files. My impression has been that this hasn't been the easiest thing to prioritize, and I know there were competing demands and shifting priorities, so I truly appreciate your consistent focus and push for this.

I’ve also really appreciated the way we’ve communicated. I’ve felt that I could be open and honest with you, even when things were frustrating. And you always responded with constructive feedback and a calm, grounded presence, so thanks for that.

Joel has been an indispensable ally in People experiences design.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

hi Joel, you've been an indispensable ally in People experiences design. Thank you for being so helpful and allowing us to work closely together. Thank you for effectively providing visibility into your team's planning, ongoing work, processes around culture and resource allocation. This has enabled us to have a similar culture and processes and have a one-team outlook. I want to point out your support in understanding/ deep diving into your team's work on copilot, org explorer by enabling KT sessions. I also want to thank you for your effective feedback to the design efforts from IDC thus influencing the overall design quality for people experiences. I appreciate your experience & design voice in People experience and your role in leading design here.

Joel’s feedback was received by the engineering team, and changes were made from his recommendations.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

It's been great working with you to test the Catchup product my team is building. From when I first approached you to do weekly tests of the Catchup Module in AI Hub weekly and help score it according to ACRUE/PG metrics up until recently when I asked you to test out the Catchup Agent in BizChat, you have always been willing and available to provide feedback and insights to help improve our product. I appreciate your insightul feedback on our product and the design input you provided in terms of how to structure our UX. Thanks for taking time to submit feedback on OCV, this was received by the engineering team and changes were made from your recommendations.
I truly appreciate your availability, willingness and interest to learn and work together with your team building the People agent in BizChat.

Joel is talented in both UX and UI work and asks all the right questions to ensure the team considers user needs and business goals.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

Joel, I have loved watching you grow into your GDM role pretty quick and have absolutely loved our partnership. You make work very enjoyable for me and I love how well we work together. I appreciate your ability to identify challenges and manage relationships smoothly to solve these challenges. You're so keen to making everyone feel seen and heard while driving all to a solution space. I particularly love how you're navigating the IDC x LPC EMEA challenge.

Problem-solving aside, you're a great product designer and I love seeing your mind at work. You're talented in both UX and UI work and ask all the right questions to ensure we're thinking of user needs & business goals.
Your proactive approach with what's needed at every one point as well as your leadership skills, have significantly contributed to the success of our team and relationships with our partners.

I look forward to more and building towards an insanely successful People experiences chapter. We're the A-team and our work together is inspiring! Thank you for being so dope

Joel is a warm, experienced, and highly capable mentor with outstanding leadership skills.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

Joel is a warm, experienced, and highly capable mentor with outstanding leadership skills. Throughout our mentorship, he has proactively reached out to me, patiently listened to my career development concerns, understood my personal growth, and shared invaluable insights. These insights and recommendations are rooted in his extensive experience and the lessons he has learned over the years. Joel truly embodies a growth mindset.

When I was uncertain about how to discuss with my manager the steps and standards required for my career progression, he introduced me to a Figma tool, which significantly improved my communication with my manager. He had learned this tool from others and generously shared it with me. I feel incredibly fortunate to have a mentor like Joel!

Joel made collaboration super easy, enjoyable and effective.

Les hele anbefalingenVis mindre

It was a great experience working with Joel and his team on the Skills in LPC project. He was a great partner and I learned a lot from him, supporting me to ramp up fast on the LPC design framework and helping me and our team to quickly progress the designs with his deep domain knowledge and detailed design guidance. He made collaboration super easy, enjoyable and effective. I would be delighted to work with Joel again.